The Servant Suffered for Us
Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
--Isaiah 53:4-5 NASB
Isaiah 52:13 through 53:12 is one of the most treasured and important Scripture passages in the Old Testament. These verses present God’s Servant suffering vicariously for the sins of mankind. Traditional Jewish interpretation understood this passage to be speaking of the Messiah and Christianity recognizes this to be Jesus, the Christ.
The passage of Isaiah 53:4-6 expresses the passion of the Servant. He was innocent of guilt, but God allowed the Servant to suffer for the sins of others. In verse 5, the expression of being “pierced through” is quite appropriate imagery for the crucifixion death that Jesus suffered.
Some would look to this passage as an indication of God’s promise of physical healing because of Christ’s suffering. We will not debate that opinion here, except to say that all Scripture should be considered and applied relative to the context in which it is presented. This passage aside, we should remember Christ’s promise to us as believers that we will receive what we ask of God in the name of Jesus.
It is not just through Christ’s suffering, but His physical death that our sins are paid and the rift between ourselves and God is healed. Christ’s death and resurrection are the very foundation of faith for the Christian. Without these we are just marking time until our end. As the Prophet Isaiah stated and as the Apostle Paul quoted, we might also say, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.” (Isaiah 22:13 / 1 Corinthians 15:32 NASB). Make no mistake. The fact of Christ’s resurrection gives us the assurance of our own, as well as for all those who also believe.
Father, I thank You that You loved me so much that You gave your Son, Jesus, to die in my place. I ask Your help to share the Good News of Your saving love with others. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
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And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
--Isaiah 53:4-5 NASB
Isaiah 52:13 through 53:12 is one of the most treasured and important Scripture passages in the Old Testament. These verses present God’s Servant suffering vicariously for the sins of mankind. Traditional Jewish interpretation understood this passage to be speaking of the Messiah and Christianity recognizes this to be Jesus, the Christ.
The passage of Isaiah 53:4-6 expresses the passion of the Servant. He was innocent of guilt, but God allowed the Servant to suffer for the sins of others. In verse 5, the expression of being “pierced through” is quite appropriate imagery for the crucifixion death that Jesus suffered.
Some would look to this passage as an indication of God’s promise of physical healing because of Christ’s suffering. We will not debate that opinion here, except to say that all Scripture should be considered and applied relative to the context in which it is presented. This passage aside, we should remember Christ’s promise to us as believers that we will receive what we ask of God in the name of Jesus.
It is not just through Christ’s suffering, but His physical death that our sins are paid and the rift between ourselves and God is healed. Christ’s death and resurrection are the very foundation of faith for the Christian. Without these we are just marking time until our end. As the Prophet Isaiah stated and as the Apostle Paul quoted, we might also say, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.” (Isaiah 22:13 / 1 Corinthians 15:32 NASB). Make no mistake. The fact of Christ’s resurrection gives us the assurance of our own, as well as for all those who also believe.
Father, I thank You that You loved me so much that You gave your Son, Jesus, to die in my place. I ask Your help to share the Good News of Your saving love with others. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
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